STRESS INTERVIEW

The idea of this type of interview is to stress the interviewee and see how he/she reacts. There are many ways to achieve this:

• A one to one interview is perhaps the most used method. An interviewer creates a hostile atmosphere by not showing any interest towards the interviewee answers, not trusting some answers given, suddenly leaving the office or picking up the phone in the middle of a conversation, not looking at the candidate or asking questions in a sarcastic or challenging way. The main idea is to check on the interviewee`s response, check if he/she goes emotional.
• Many interviewers that can interview the candidate one by one or all at the same time is other way to create stress, by constantly intimidating the applicant and, again, checking on his/her response.
• A presentation in front of both staff member and other candidates is valid to create a stressful environment.

This interviewing technique should be used when the work-environment is indeed stressing or hostile but a company should be very careful when applying this type of interviews since it can create a permanent hostile relationship between the candidate and the company or sometimes (if applied incorrectly) can make excellent prospects to refuse the job vacant.

Tips for Interviewers:

• Make the candidate unnecessarily wait for the interview to start.
• Make the candidate hurry for the interview.
• Be argumentative or a little rude towards the candidate.
• Be sarcastic or arrogant.
• Be negative by telling the prospect you think he/she may not be the person the company is looking for.
• Check for over reactions on the interviewee side.
• Check how calm the interviewee can remain.
• Check if the candidate gives different answers if you ask him/her the same question many times.
• Check for the candidate´s body language.
• Remember that in a Stress Interview the most important thing is the reaction, not the answer!